Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to playback of audio contents (for example, music files) of a portable terminal. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus in which multiple portable terminals share single audio content and perform group's simultaneous playback.
Description of the Related Art
Recently, electronic devices such as portable terminals are manufactured to allow users to carry them around. Such portable terminals are sometimes embodied as smart phones, cellular phones, Portable Multimedia Players (PMPs), MP3 players, personal navigating devices, and portable game consoles, and have provided functions of other terminals as well as their own basic functions. In the case of cellular phones as representative examples, various multimedia functions such as a TV viewing function, a music playback function, and a photographing function are provided in addition to general communication functions such as voice communication or message transmission/reception.
Recently, for communication between portable terminals or communication between a portable terminal and another device such as a headset, portable terminals are now often equipped with modules for performing a short-range communication function by using a short-range communication scheme such as WiFi Direct, Near-Field Communication (NFC), or Bluetooth. The portable terminals, which are equipped with such short-range communication modules, are constructed to perform content sharing or interworking therebetween in a relatively short distance.
In particular, among the aforementioned functions, a function of transmitting audio content (for example, an MP3 music file) stored in a portable terminal to its adjacent portable terminal through NFC for sharing and playback of the audio content has been proposed. An example of this conventional technique is disclosed in a Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0002310 filed by the present applicant on Jan. 10, 2011, invented by Ji-Hwan Song, and titled “Contents Management Method and Apparatus of Mobile Terminal”.
However, the aforementioned conventional technique merely provides a basic function of forming a group of adjacent devices and sharing and playing audio content, and up to now, there is no scheme for providing group's simultaneous playback which is specialized or optimized for audio content.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.